Test Your Flood IQ

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April showers may be over. But it’s still raining questions here at ALAN, where we’ve just put the finishing touches on our latest “Test Your Disaster Logistics Readiness” challenge. So put on your thinking caps, get out your pretend buzzers and let’s see how much you really know about the logistical side of flood preparation.

1. How many U.S. counties have experienced at least one flood since 1998?

A. 99%

B. 55%

C. 33%

D. 22%

A

Dangerous floods can occur almost anywhere. And when they do, they can wreak serious havoc with people’s safety, health, homes and businesses. In fact, more than 40% of the country’s flood insurance claims come from people who don’t live in high-risk flood areas. And floods kill more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes. So don’t assume that this type of disaster isn’t a threat to you or your organization just because your locations (and the people you serve) aren’t located near a lake, river or ocean. Prepare now and prepare well.

2. Which of the following is NOT a type of flood?

A. River floods

B. Coastal floods

C. Storm surges

D. Inland floods

E. Plain floods

F. Flash floods

E

There’s no such thing as a plain flood. However, there are many other kinds of floods – and many circumstances besides living near a body of water (including poor drainage, nearby construction projects and heavy rains) that can increase the possibility that an area will experience them. To learn more about various areas’ specific flood risk levels, check out the FEMA website’s flood maps and risk assessments.

3. True or False: Floods were expected to be the top supply chain risk in 2025.

True.

True – at least according to Everstream Analytics, which rated floods the number one supply chain risk that year – and which rated floods and other weather events as the number two risk for 2026. The moral of the story? Its always a good idea to prepare your organization’s supply chain for the possibility of this particular type of disaster.

4. Which of the following impacts are NOT a concern for warehouses that are located in or near flood-prone areas?

A. Facility/inventory damage
B. Power outages
C. Temporary facility closures
D. Increases in local demand
E. Inbound delivery delays

Unfortunately all of these impacts are possible. While your organization may be fortunate enough not to sustain damage to your warehouse (and the inventory within it), your warehousing agility may still take a significant hit due to a lack of power or the fact that many of your warehouse employees may not be able to get to work. You also may find that warehouse “flooded” with requests for urgent product deliveries. And don’t forget that some of your suppliers’ warehouses and factories also may have been affected, which means that their ability to get goods to you may be temporarily disabled. That’s why it’s so important to have back-up warehousing plans.

6. True or False: Flooding events can increase your organization’s chances of temporarily having to pay higher trucking rates.

True.

Much like other disasters, floods can temporarily cause a spike in trucking costs due to damaged infrastructure (which creates longer transit times and/or the need to reroute trucks around damaged areas), a limit in area trucking capacity, and an increase in the demand for transporting supplies to affected areas.  Keep that in mind as you’re putting together your supply chain budget.

7. True or False: There’s no effective way to help prevent or offset the effects of flood-related supply chain issues.

False.

There’s almost always something that organizations like yours can do to improve your supply chain performance and efficiency, even during the worst of times. These options range from using supply chain visibility tools (see Question 11) to using route optimization tools or participating in tabletop exercises.  Working with reputable 3PLs or consultants can also help – as can tapping into the free expertise of communities like ALAN. 

8. True or False: Storing your inventory in more than one warehouse is also a good way to help minimize the possibility that a flood will bring your supply chain to a standstill.

True.

Most disasters tend to be local or regional.  As a result, spreading your inventory across more than one location is a good way to offset some of the supply chain-related risks of flooding. That way if you can’t serve your clients from one warehouse, you can still carry out your mission with the help of another.

9. True or False: ALAN is available to assist organizations like yours before, during and after floods.

True!

We’re here to help connect nonprofits with everything from donated trucking, warehousing, material handling equipment and supply chain expertise. We’re also here to help your organization better understand the impacts that disasters have on supply chains. To request any of these things, go to https://www.alanaid.org/request-support/ and fill out one of our short online request forms. We’ll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours. 

10. Fill in the blank: Many items that are donated to product collection drives wind up in ____ rather than flood survivors’ hands.

A. Landfills

B. Boise

C. Etsy shops

D. Their original location

A

Sadly, even some of the most practical items that people donate to post-flood (and other) product collection drives often go to waste. The reasons for this are myriad, which is why we encourage you to read Collection Driving Me Crazy­­­ ­­­­­for more details – and to consider making a financial donation or in-kind logistics offer to help with flood relief efforts instead.

11. Which of the following offers free resources for monitoring floods or their supply chain impacts?

A. The National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio

B. Your local National Weather Service forecast

C. Wireless Emergency Alerts

D. Weather alerts from the FEMA app

E. ALAN’s Supply Chain Intelligence Center

F. All of the above

F

The NOAA and your local National Weather Service forecast are great resources for flood condition predictions, advisories and updates.  Additionally, the FEMA app allows you to sign up for weather alerts for as many as five locations nationwide, while ALAN’s Supply Chain Intelligence Center offers detailed real-time updates about floods’ effects on roadways, ports, and airports.  Make plans to use one or more of them regularly, and let us know what else we can do to help you and your organization become more logistics-ready.

How did you score? Was it harder than anticipated? If you have any questions, reach out to us today. Our team would be happy to pass along additional flood safety and preparedness information. 

Thanks for playing – and stay safe this Hurricane Season!

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